TALES FROM THE CHICKEN COOP
 The Clinton cash scandal sounds suspiciously similar to what Virginia's former Governor and First Lady were tried, convicted, and sentenced to prison for within the past year. Chicken feed and amateuristic compared to the financial exploits of Bill and Hill; the same (so far) in that there was no direct smoking gun quid pro quo evidence, but plenty of "coincidences" from which to infer a deliberate pattern and much more than a mere appearance of impropriety. In an attempt to salvage his political career, Bob McDonnell flaunted his religiosity, attempted to sell a saga of marital discord and disconnection, and slaughtered  his social climbing spouse by throwing the materialistic mother of his children under the bus. It smelt false and "fowl." The jury didn't buy it; neither did we. But there's still the appeal.
 And then we have the "pros," the way, way, way, less than candid former First Couple of our country, unless you count our 41st President's not so secret propensity for philandering. With a fresh batch of duplicitous dealings coming home to roost, and surprisingly being subjected to a Grade AA inspection, will Hillary preemptively "egg" her husband in a mad scramble to rescue her candidacy to crack the glass ceiling of the Oval Office? Rumor has it she has quite an arm! Clinton McNuggets! How else can she stay out of the fire and in the teflon cocoon of the campaign frying pan and control the heat? The vast right wing conspiracy victim card is all chewed up.
 What neither the McDonnells nor the Clintons seem to comprehend is that the climate has changed, and I am not talking about global warming. The bailout of those "too big to fail" ruffled quite a few feathers among the taxpaying "down-and- out-sized" and caused a cultural consciousness and compassion shift to "nail and jail." With the good times still not really rolling, that sentiment has solidified, and the greed and graft of the "in and out of government set" are no longer going to be forgiven as a given. What has remained constant is that the cover up is always worse than the crime. To those "caught" in the transition, no pun intended, truth and trust are the keys to unlocking the self imposed coop and keeping out of a very real one. It's no time to be a chicken and hide.
Karen Ann DeLuca